Butterfly Man

Rating:
Summary: Pristine
Review: Butterfly Man is a touching and complex movie about the despair and hope of a British backpacker who finds a deeper sense of purpose in the colorful and beautiful world he experiences in Thailand. The visuals of this movie will make you feel that you are in an island paradise yourself, as they're filled with prelapserian visions of purity and sweetness. The two main characters, Adam and Em, acted expertly by Stuart Laing and Napakpapha "Mamee" Nakprasitte, share a passionate bond, one that will make you believe in the redemptive and soulful power of love.


Rating:
Summary: Skip It
Review: The only redeeming quality of this film is the fact that the gorgeous scenery of Thailand is shown in full grandeur. The viewer can really get a feel for the country. However, the storyline and characters are weak, trite, and boring. The film uses the all too common theme of Western man's infatuation for a young Thai woman but tries to convince the audience that it's true love. It is an unbelievable story with an even more ludicrous ending.

Rating:
Summary: nicely textured film
Review: This is one of the few movies shot in Thailand, with Thailand as a subject, that really shows any insight into the country (unlike The Beach, for example).

Considering this is a low-budget, it really doesn't look budget. The cinematography is superb and in fact it earned the Best Cinematography award in 2003's Slamdunk Film Festival (the truly indie alternative to the Sundance Fest, and also held in Park City, UT). The performances are also uniformly excellent. Here again, the Thai female lead, Mamee, earned Best Actress at Slamdunk.

Kaprice Kea directs with a sure hand and a lot of sympathy for daily Thai life. I hope we see more from this director soon.